Riveting apparatus

ABSTRACT

A riveting apparatus for riveting a fastener to a mounting board, with a diameter after riveting which is not greater that that of the fastener, includes a housing and a sliding member. The fastener includes a mounting portion secured to the mounting board and a latching groove to be flared. The sliding member includes a sliding portion and a riveting portion and the sliding portion is slidably mounted to the housing. The riveting portion is forced into the latching groove, and the riveting portion flares out the mounting portion to secure the rivet in the mounting board.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to riveting apparatuses, and particularly to a riveting apparatus for a PCB mounting fastener.

2. Description of Related Art

PCB mounting fasteners include a tooth-shaped structure. When tightening and securing the PCB mounting fasteners, the tooth-shaped structure is pressed into a hole defined in a mounting board. However, the tooth-shaped structure may distort the shape of the hole, thus requiring a large clearance distance for nearby signal lines. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of one embodiment of a riveting apparatus.

FIG. 2 is an assembled, isometric view of the riveting apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view taken along a line III-III of the riveting apparatus of FIG. 1, with a sliding member in an initial position.

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, but with the sliding member in a riveting position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.”

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a riveting apparatus for riveting a fastener 100 to a mounting board 200. The riveting apparatus includes a housing 10, a resilient member 20, a sliding member 30, and a positioning post 50 (referring to FIG. 3).

The fastener 100 includes an installation portion 101, a mounting portion 102, and a driving portion 103. The installation portion 101 is resiliently pressed in the mounting portion 102. The driving portion 103 urges the installation portion 101 upwards to engage the installation portion 101 in an opening (not shown). A circular latching groove 105 is defined between the mounting portion 102 and the installation portion 101. The latching groove 105 surrounds the installation portion 101.

The mounting board 200 defines a through hole 201.

Referring also to FIGS. 3 and 4, the housing 10 defines a mounting slot 11 and an internally step-shaped slot 12. The step-shaped slot 12 includes a receiving slot 121 and a limiting slot 123. The limiting slot 123 extends through a bottom end of the housing 10. In one embodiment, the receiving slot 121 and the limiting slot 123 are circular. A diameter of the receiving slot 121 is smaller than a diameter of the limiting slot 124, so as to form a circular step 125 in the step-shaped slot 12. An extending direction of the step-shaped slot 12 is substantially perpendicular to an extending direction of the mounting slot 11.

In one embodiment, the resilient member 20 is a compression spring. The resilient member 20 is received in the receiving slot 121.

The sliding member 30 includes a sliding portion 31 and a riveting portion 32 located on a bottom portion of the sliding portion 31. In one embodiment, the sliding portion 31 is cylindrical. A diameter of the sliding portion 31 is smaller than the diameter of the limiting slot 123 and is greater than the diameter of the receiving slot 121. The sliding portion 31 defines a sliding slot 311. The sliding slot 311 extends through opposite sides of the sliding portion 31. The riveting portion 32 is substantially conical and includes a tip 321. The riveting portion 32 has a curved outer surface 323.

FIGS. 2-4 show that, in assembly, the resilient member 20 is placed in the step-shaped slot 12. The resilient member 20 is received in the receiving slot 121, and a part of the resilient member slides in the limiting slot 123. The sliding member 30 is placed in the step-shaped slot 12, and a top end of the sliding member 30 constantly resists the resilient member 20. The sliding slot 311 is aligned with the mounting slot 11. The positioning post 50 is inserted through the sliding slot 311 and secured to the mounting slot 11 by an interference fit between the positioning post 50 and the mounting slot 11. The riveting apparatus is thereby assembled. In this position, the sliding member 30 is located below the step 125, the positioning post 50 abuts a top edge of the sliding slot 311, the resilient member 20 is located in a first state, and the sliding member 30 is located in an initial position. The sliding member 30 is slidable relative to the housing 10. The positioning post 50 is slidable relative to the sliding member 30 in the sliding slot 311.

In use, the fastener 100 is placed under the mounting board 200 and supported from beneath, and the installation portion 101 is aligned with the through hole 201. The fastener 100 is moved upwards to extend the mounting portion 102 and the installation portion 101 out of the through hole 201. The riveting apparatus is placed above the mounting board 200, the tip 321 is received in the latching groove 105, and the outer surface 323 of the riveting portion 32 abuts edges of the mounting portion 102. The housing 10 is pressed downwards, causing the resilient member 20 to elastically deform, until the step 125 abuts a top surface of the sliding member 30 and the positioning post 50 abuts a bottom edge of the sliding slot 311. In this position, the sliding member 30 is located in a riveting position. A top surface of the housing 10 is struck or forcibly pressed down. The riveting portion 32 is forced into the latching groove 105, causing the mounting portion 102 to flare outwards until engagement with a top surface of the mounting board 200. Thus, the riveting apparatus rivets the fastener 100 to the mounting board 200. The housing 10 is released, and the resilient member 20 rebounds to the first state to push the sliding member 30 to slide upwards to the initial position.

When the housing 10 is struck or forcibly depressed, because the step 125 abuts the sliding member 30, the sliding member 30 receives even and uniform force from the housing 10 around its circumference. Thus, the fastener 100 is firmly riveted to the mounting board 200 such that the outer diameter of the mounting portion 102 after being flared is not greater than the overall diameter of the fastener 100.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and the arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure, to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A riveting apparatus, for riveting a fastener to a mounting board, the riveting apparatus comprising a housing and a sliding member, wherein the sliding member comprises a sliding portion slidably mounted in the housing and a riveting portion located on the sliding portion; the housing is slidable relative to the mounting board to slide the sliding member; the riveting portion is configured to insert into a latching groove defined in a mounting portion of the fastener, which is secured to the mounting board when the sliding member is slid towards the mounting board, thereby causing the mounting portion to flare outwards to rivet in the mounting board.
 2. The riveting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a resilient member, wherein a first end of the resilient member abuts the housing, and a second end of the resilient member abuts the sliding member.
 3. The riveting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the housing defines a step-shaped slot, and the step-shaped slot comprises a receiving slot and a limiting slot communicating with the receiving slot; the resilient member is received in the receiving slot, and the sliding portion is slidably received in the limiting slot; a width of the limiting slot is greater than a width of the receiving slot, so as to form a step in the step-shaped slot, and the step abuts the sliding member to slide the sliding member when the housing is slid towards the mounting board.
 4. The riveting apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a positioning post, wherein the sliding portion defines a sliding slot, and the housing defines a mounting slot; the positioning post is inserted through the sliding slot and secured to the mounting slot; and the positioning post is slidable relative to the sliding member in the sliding slot.
 5. The riveting apparatus of claim 4, wherein an extending direction of the mounting slot is substantially perpendicular to an extending direction of the sliding slot.
 6. The riveting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sliding member is slidable relative to the housing between an initial position and a riveting position; when the sliding member is in the initial position, the positioning post abuts a top edge of the sliding slot, and the sliding member is below the step; when the sliding member is in the riveting position, the positioning post abuts a bottom edge of the sliding slot, and the sliding member abuts the step.
 7. The riveting apparatus of claim 6, wherein when the sliding member is in the riveting position, the housing is slidable to slide the riveting portion to engage in the latching groove.
 8. The riveting apparatus of claim 6, wherein when the sliding member is in the riveting position, the resilient member is elastically deformed; and the resilient member is capable of rebounding to slide the sliding member from the riveting position to the initial position.
 9. The riveting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the riveting portion comprises a curved outer surface, and the curved outer surface abuts edges of the latching groove when the sliding member is in the riveting position.
 10. The riveting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the riveting portion is substantially conical.
 11. A riveting apparatus, for riveting a fastener to a mounting board, the riveting apparatus comprising: a housing comprising a step; a sliding member comprising a sliding portion slidably mounted in the housing and a riveting portion located on the sliding portion; and a resilient member received in the housing and located between the sliding portion and a top end of the housing; wherein the housing is slidable relative to the mounting board to abut the step to the sliding member; when the step abuts the sliding member, the housing is slidable relative to the mounting board to slide the riveting portion to insert into a latching groove defined in a mounting portion of the fastener, which is secured to the mounting board, thereby causing the mounting portion to flare outwards to rivet in the mounting board.
 12. The riveting apparatus of claim 11, wherein a first end of the resilient member abuts the housing, and a second end of the resilient member abuts the sliding portion.
 13. The riveting apparatus of claim 12, wherein the housing defines a step-shaped slot, and the step-shaped slot comprises a receiving slot and a limiting slot communicating with the receiving slot; the resilient member is received in the receiving slot, and the sliding portion is slidably received in the limiting slot; a width of the limiting slot is greater than a width of the receiving slot, so as to form the step in the step-shaped slot, and the step abuts the sliding member to slide the sliding member when the housing is slid towards the mounting board.
 14. The riveting apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a positioning post, wherein the sliding portion defines a sliding slot, and the housing defines a mounting slot; the positioning post is inserted through the sliding slot and secured to the mounting slot; and the positioning post is slidable relative to the sliding member in the sliding slot.
 15. The riveting apparatus of claim 14, wherein an extending direction of the mounting slot is substantially perpendicular to an extending direction of the sliding slot.
 16. The riveting apparatus of claim 14, wherein the sliding member is slidable relative to the housing between an initial position and a riveting position; when the sliding member is in the initial position, the positioning post abuts a top edge of the sliding slot, and the sliding member is below the step; when the sliding member is in the riveting position, the positioning post abuts a bottom edge of the sliding slot, and the sliding member abuts the step.
 17. The riveting apparatus of claim 16, wherein when the sliding member is in the riveting position, the housing is slidable to slide the riveting portion to engage in the latching groove.
 18. The riveting apparatus of claim 16, wherein when the sliding member is in the riveting position, the resilient member is elastically deformed; and the resilient member is capable of rebounding to slide the sliding member from the riveting position to the initial position.
 19. The riveting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the riveting portion comprises a curved outer surface, and the curved outer surface abuts edges of the latching groove when the sliding member is in the riveting position.
 20. The riveting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the riveting portion is substantially conical. 